Thread by @lwvne

You can watch the Grand Island #Redistricting Public Hearing:nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/series-medi…

Or follow the 🧵 here!

Last we checked, you can work/go to a a hospital/school/see a movie in a district in which you don't live...

It's about the people in Nebraska, not the people in the Legislature.

Theme coming out today so far: "things are changing and we've built relationships so we can't change anything"

Problem is...it is going to change regardless....

Deeply appreciate hearing from @N4thanLeach from @NonpartisanNeb. Strong argument for protecting our government from partisanship. Highlighting minimized deviation and non partisan focus.

Sen. Briese asking how to address the issue of large geographical districts. @N4thanLeach agrees it is a concern but offers other ways to solve that problem.

"The whole point of government is the government represents the people" - @N4thanLeach 👏👏👏

It was also not lost on us that Sen. Briese did his best to stop the testifier to finishing his statement on that.

Testifier claims "agriculture is the backbone of the Nebraska population."

Agree it is one of them, but may we share this data from: nechamber.com/business--indu…

Great testimony by the @YWCA_GI! Thanks committee for keeping Grand Island community whole. Also asks the committee to keep the same respect for communities across the state.

Feedback we've heard from folks from all 3 congressional districts: holding hearings during traditional working hours is NOT an effective way to engage the public. Doesn't matter if you're a farmer, a business person, a parent, etc.

Thank you, @senatorblood for clarifying that counties aren't being "taken away," lines are being moved to reflect population change.

Can someone cite some sources here on the "agriculture is the biggest business" thing? Because every source I'm seeing, that is not the case.

Nice to hear we are not the only one who did not get a response from the #Redistricting Committee!

The public is giving feedback. Seeking out to do it. Even without a microphone. Please listen.

Maybe I'm about to jinx it, but I really appreciate the reasonable, thoughtful testimony at the Grand Island. Thanks, outstate friends! #Redistricting #ThisIsWhatDemocracyLooksLike #PublicIsNotTheEnemy

"There is more than one way to do this" - Testifier who then suggests we should shift all a bit instead of lifting and replacing....you know who has a map like that????

"If you put my sister and I in the same district, we will just cancel each other's vote out" - This testifier is cracking me up

On a more serious note, she comments that she thinks preserving NE2 is important

Appreciate testifier emphasizing that districts represent people, not land. He also points out that several cities including Hastings are cut out of their "home districts"

Testifier drawing attention to fact that precincts and lots of other things can't be drawn until Legislature draws maps. Has a little bit of a "stop messing around and get it done" vibe but in a friendly dad kind of way?

Yolanda bringing the truth! "Lines affect our lives in more ways than we realize"

"It results in what issues are handled and what districts are ignored"

Yolanda continues: concerned about Hastings as well being broken up. Says Sen. Linehan's plan is a racial gerrymander of Latino pop.

Sen. Linehan says she (& Wayne) are willing to work w/ Yolanda to draw meaningful lines in GI. Asks to make sure Yolanda understands they can't keep all of GI together. Yolanda gets it and says we need to look at the East side. Linehan responds "well, we will look at all that"

Next up is @janekleeb, Chair of NE Democratic Party, says she is there to talk about fair of rural and urban. Highlights that they organize by counties and so an important piece is keeping counties whole.

Speaks to keeping rural and need to keep folks living there: 1) clean up water, points to Mead, 2) protect property rights, 3) provide micro loans, and 4) land back to the tribes (Ponca)

"It is not only rural senators that stand up for rural needs"

Amen. As #NELeg watchers, we can confirm this is true.

Chair @LouAnnLinehan trying to pin @janekleeb down to say Omaha would've gone blue with either map in the last election.

That is the ENTIRE point. It doesn't matter whether #NE2 would have or will go for the Democrat. It is about creating a meaningful district. Non-politically.

First CRT reference!

This testifier should do a voice over for a Ken Burns documentary. I would be here for that.

Wow, left turn. We've moved from quoting Ulysses S Grant to calling out the recent partisanship as "arrogant, corrosive, and disgraceful"

"stop playing with our votes through packing, cracking, and gerrymander and EARN them"

There is some confusion about which maps we are looking at. I, for one, am SHOCKED.

Candidate for Board of Education is taking issue with the Education maps, particularly that there isn't enough rural representation.

Property taxes argument.

Anti-@Educ8Nebraska crowd is here and saying that we should draw lines to not let her be elected.

Not...not how that works...

"There are more conservatives than leftists in Nebraska" - testifier

Ok, a few things.

1) took that to a unnecessary political place
2) two personal political attacks
3) see pie chart below that comment above not accurate

Nebraska voter registration info

And that wraps up our first #NELeg #Redistricting Hearing in Grand Island. Up next, tomorrow at 9 am room 1524 at the State Capitol Building in Lincoln!